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Texas teachers will be expected to follow an overhauled science curriculum in six months, and many are training to become familiar with the new standards, which will have a focus on chemistry and favor hands-on learning. Each campus in the Aldine school district has named a chemistry team leader who will attend training and relay what they learn to the rest of the staff, and other districts are sending teachers to workshops and buying equipment.

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In this blog post, Kim Farris-Berg, an independent consultant and senior associate with Education Evolving, writes about her own 7-year-old daughter's reaction to learning about the curriculum at Mission Hill, a school that allows teachers to design the curriculum, resulting in more hands-on learning and individualized instruction. Farris-Berg writes that her daughter described Mission Hill's students as "lucky," and was particularly intrigued by the concept that the school's teachers trusted their students to guide their own learning.

Teachers in a Delaware high school are taking a natural approach to chemistry -- abandoning Bunsen burners and dangerous substances and using only safe and biodegradable supplies in the classroom. The curriculum was developed by an MIT physicist and focuses on hands-on lessons to engage students in chemistry principles. Thirty-five teachers in Delaware have been trained in the method. "This curriculum has forced me to rethink what I've known and taught for 20 years," one teacher said.

Teachers in a Delaware high school are taking a natural approach to chemistry -- abandoning Bunsen burners and dangerous substances and using only safe and biodegradable supplies in the classroom. The curriculum was developed by an MIT physicist and focuses on hands-on lessons to engage students in chemistry principles. Thirty-five teachers in Delaware have been trained in the method. "This curriculum has forced me to rethink what I've known and taught for 20 years," one teacher said.

Texas teachers will be expected to follow an overhauled science curriculum in six months, and many are training to become familiar with the new standards, which will have a focus on chemistry and favor hands-on learning. Each campus in the Aldine school district has named a chemistry team leader who will attend training and relay what he or she learns to the rest of the staff, and other districts are sending teachers to workshops and buying equipment.

A Texas district's teaching residency trains educators to abandon their traditional role as lecturers to help students learn using collaborative, hands-on projects. Funded by federal stimulus money, the residencies use peer-to-peer instruction to help teachers create data-driven projects for their schools. After the four-day residencies, educators will be mentored for one year by master teachers, who will visit their classrooms and provide feedback on new teaching methods.